Relationships are difficult, marriages are arguably even harder, but in Over Your Dead Body, Jorma Taccone has the spouses taking their vows a little too literally, creating one of the most surprisingly funny, disgustingly bloody, and incredibly aggressive films of the SXSW festival. It delivers a totally chaotic ride that is bound to go down as some people’s favourite of the entire festival.

The film follows married couple Dan (Jason Segel), a down-on-his-luck director whose only jobs are cringy commercials, and Lisa (Samara Weaving), an aspiring actress whose only breaks have come from off-off-Broadway shows. Growing increasingly frustrated with one another, they plan a “romantic” getaway to an upstate cabin owned by Dan’s dad (Paul Guilfoyle), but both are hiding the same secret agenda. They are each planning to brutally murder the other.

This part of the film feels very The War of the Roses, and it is actually a remake of The Trip. The script this time comes from Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney, who premiered their own comedy at SXSW this week, so it is no surprise that their quippy comedic wit carries over into Over Your Dead Body. There is some brutal marital banter here that I am sure plenty of couples will recognise, especially in the heat of the moment.

Where Over Your Dead Body starts to feel more original is in how quickly those murderous plans fall apart. During their fight, a shotgun is fired into the attic and three fugitives come crashing through the ceiling. Pete (Timothy Olyphant) and Todd (Keith Jardine) are escaped convicts, along with their accomplice Allegra (Juliette Lewis), the pair’s corrections officer. From here, the film turns into something else entirely, descending into complete chaos but still hugely entertaining.

Where Over Your Dead Body really shines is in its outrageous action sequences, particularly once the home invasion twist kicks in. It shifts into fifth gear and never really lets up, delivering some properly grotesque moments that will have audiences squirming in their seats. The action is superbly choreographed, and the stunt team clearly get the chance to show what they can do.

It is also surprisingly hilarious throughout. I am not talking about the odd chuckle here and there, I mean proper laugh-out-loud moments that come thick and fast. What makes it even better is how much fun the cast are clearly having, and it is honestly a bit of a miracle they manage to keep a straight face half the time.

Segel and Weaving are brilliant. Segel plays Dan as a desperate director trying to prove himself and it really works, while Weaving once again shows off her charisma, this time with a much sharper bite. Olyphant and Jardine as the two convicts have a bit of a Home Alone energy to them, leaning into the roles in a fun way. And even in a smaller role, Guilfoyle somehow manages to steal every scene he is in.

The make-up on display here is genuinely impressive. It takes quite a lot to make me want to look away from gore, but this film manages it more than once. As awards bodies have started to open up a bit, it might not be that far-fetched to say the work here deserves some recognition.

With a closing act that is bound to stick in the memory, Taccone has put together a ridiculously good time at the cinema. It is packed with chaos, gore, and messy relationships, and there is more than enough here for audiences to really enjoy. It also just so happens to be one of the funniest films of the year so far.